Sinnonhyeon laptop café with outlet seats, fig cake: Upper and Under

Let me introduce a café I stopped by with a friend after lunch near Gangnam Station, when I wanted to get some laptop work done ~ :)

It's Upper and Under in Gangnam. Usually these pretty cafés don't have outlets at the seats, right? But here there were outlets, so charging my laptop was genuinely convenient. The dessert and coffee quality were solid too, so there was even fun in picking what to order 🤍

When you're looking for a place to work near Gangnam Station, the pretty spots usually don't have outlets, and the ones with outlets usually lack atmosphere. But here you get both, so today I felt like I really found the right place haha

Where is Upper and Under, and what are its hours and parking?

• Name: Upper and Under
• Address: 28 Gangnam-daero 102-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (B1, 1F, 2F)
• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 22:00
• Amenities: Group seating, takeout, Wi-Fi

It's about a 5-minute walk from Exit 6 of Sinnonhyeon Station, so the location is perfect if you're searching for a Sinnonhyeon café. We came from Gangnam Station after eating, and the walk from that side wasn't bad either.

There's no dedicated parking lot, so I'd recommend taking public transit. If you're driving, it's easier to find a nearby paid parking lot in advance. Takeout is also available, so it's good if you just want to grab desserts to go.

Outside Upper and Under near Sinnonhyeon Station

The café takes up an entire building tucked into an alley, so it caught my eye from far away. The exterior already has such a feel to it that you end up taking photos before even stepping inside — the kind of Sinnonhyeon café that does that to you.

Outlet seats and the feel of each floor at Upper and Under

Upper and Under runs from basement level 1 up to the 2nd floor, so there were plenty of seats. Having outlets at the tables made laptop work really convenient.

The brick-interior space had sunlight pouring in through big windows, and green trees visible outside, so the mood was completely different there. As soon as we sat down, we plugged in our laptop chargers, and working without worrying about battery life felt so comfortable haha. There's Wi-Fi and group seating too, so it seems like a great space for when a bunch of friends get together 🤍

Picking desserts from the Upper and Under bakery case

Upper and Under's bakery display case was so dazzling that I stood there staring for a while haha. With canelés, cake slices, and colorful petit desserts, there were so many options that I really agonized over what to order. My friend and I deliberated for a long time and ended up settling on one cake and one canelé to split evenly haha

Upper and Under in Gangnam markets itself around specialty coffee, so I went in expecting the basic coffee to be good too.

What we ordered at Upper and Under and what it cost

• Fig cake ₩8,500
• Pistachio canelé ₩4,700
• Salted caramel cream latte ₩8,000
• Café latte ₩7,000

Salted caramel cream latte, 8,000 won

The salted caramel cream latte was the most memorable order of the day. The cream was genuinely smooth, and the sweetness of the caramel had a slight saltiness added to it, so I drank it to the last sip without getting tired of it. There was even a cookie topping on top, so it photographed beautifully, and it was fun scooping up the cream along with it. If you like sweet drinks, you have to try this one.

Fig cake, 8,500 won, and pistachio canelé, 4,700 won

Fresh figs were piled generously on top, so it passed the visual test right away. You could feel the pop of the figs together with the soft cream, so my hand kept reaching for more. Since it's fig season right now, each bite felt even more welcome, and my friend, after one bite, said 'this is delicious' and kept picking up the fork.

With the pistachio topping added, the canelé's flavor definitely stepped up a level. It was nutty, so it paired perfectly with the sweet drink. The classic canelé charm of a chewy outside and moist inside stayed the same, but with the pistachio topping added, it definitely felt different from a plain canelé.

Café latte, 7,000 won

Paired with the sweet desserts, it was the best combination. One bite of cake, one sip of latte — that combo says it all haha. The latte had a nutty, smooth style that didn't compete with the dessert flavors, which I liked. Taking a sip after eating sweet cake left my palate feeling refreshed, so I enjoyed it all the way to the end.

Is Upper and Under in Gangnam worth a laptop session?

It was a place I was satisfied with both for chatting with a friend and for working with a laptop 🤍 The outlets made working comfortable, the different vibe on each floor made it fun to pick where to sit, and with both the desserts and coffee tasting good, there was never a dull moment even staying a long time.

Among Sinnonhyeon cafés, this is the one that will come to mind on a day when I want to take care of both work and dessert. If you're looking for a pretty café with outlets, give Upper and Under in Gangnam a try. It's open every day until 10pm, so it's also good to stop by after work.

Next time I want to try some of the other desserts in the showcase. If I have reason to go to Gangnam Station or Sinnonhyeon Station again, this is a place I'd like to revisit.